The Power of Goodbye

By: Queen of the Dead

Pairing: Marou/Hikage

Rating: R

POV: Hikage

Warnings: Yaoi

Disclaimer: I do not own Blood Reign. This is only a fanfic that does not reflect the views of the company who has rights to Blood Reign.

*Author's Note: Blood Reign is an old tape from the late 80's, so I don't think that many people have seen it. If you haven't, just treat it like it is an original story.*

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I remember the first time I met him. We were young, barely toddlers, and I was playing in the sand, building a castle. He plopped down beside me, looked at me with those huge brown eyes of his, and jus started to put more sand on the castle. We both sat there, not talking (because didn't know how to yet), creating that giant, slumping castle with towers for shoulders and rocks for eyes. Once in a while we'd babble in content, but that was all.

He was a lovely creature even then, that striking red hair and beautiful face made him different from me and all the other black-haired little boys running around the village. His eyes did not match the softness of his face. They glinted with some eery light that only now I can recall. Always, they were watching, waiting, wide. Sometimes, when the anger boiled within him and he screamed in agony, I saw something evil behind those eyes, something desperately clawing its way out. Then he would stop and the pain drained out of him, and he was normal again. His eyes became a normal size and his hands no longer looked like talons. He was Marou again, not a monster.

I never thought that he was truly a monster until the day I slain him. The day his flowing red hair turned white and his eyes changed to glowing, beady blue and he truly did have claws. He merged with that awful stallion, transforming into a full-fledged demon. My heart raced that day. Somehow, I kept myself under control. I did not cry like a woman, nor did I fall to my knees, staring up at the sky with mad eyes, asking what happened to my beloved Marou. No, I fought like a ninja should, destroying my enemy, even if my enemy had to be Marou, my friend, my companion, my lover.

Our relationship developed over time. At fist, we were comrades, training together. We used to run miles together, testing our endurance. Rain or shine, we were together. Some nights, when our legs were frozen because of the winter cold, we would lie down on the hard, dead soil and snuggle close to each other, sharing our body heat. He would smile at me, his arms tucked around my shoulders; I would feebly grin back, so tired I could barely move. He always could take more than I could, never sweated as much, never got tired. Now I know why. Demons can withstand the elements better than humans. We were brothers, the two of us. Not by blood, but by the bond we shared. Our relationship grew as time went on. We were never like the other boys; we stayed away from them. I could place my hand on his arm without flinching. We shared a bed once in awhile but we were never bothered by it. The other boys thought it to be strange, or crude; we saw no problem with it. Our bodies were our bodies, a touch was an unimposing thing, a movement across skin. It did not mean anything. If we had to lock our arms around each other and sleep close, then we did. There was no stigma to it. It had been taught that a man must love a woman, that he must take care of her because she is weak, but why would a man not take care of another man? When adolescence hit and foreign feelings quelled within me, I always asked myself that question. Why was it forbidden that I love Marou like he was my soul mate? The truth was, we seemed to be made for each other. Unfortunately, anything more than friendship was against the rules. Not that Marou ever cared for the rules. Marou slept with women even though it was not allowed during training time. He snuck out of class to see them. He went to bars and let down his hair, getting so sick that he could barely make it home. He would play tricks on the other boys and steal items from them. He would curse in front of the women. For a few years, I could barely take him, he was so unruly. Then we finished training. He changed, became a disciplined, calm ninja. Somehow, he had learned all the material. He became the Marou that I once knew, and I was glad.

The years melted past us; we grew and bloomed. Marou and I got taller, leaner, more muscular. Our bond tightened, and every waking moment was spent together. My adoration for him blossomed; I finally came to terms with it and allowed myself to let it flow freely, and wait for Marou's reply. We went on missions together, slaying enemies and the wicked, but he did not respond. I gave him subtle hints; I almost flirted like a woman. Still nothing. Finally, I gave up and took a female lover to satisfy my need. So did Marou. We kept our romantic lives seperated, never allowing a woman to come between us. Looking back upon it, I see that we thought women were something to toy around with, not something that could truly satisfy. We both knew, deep down, that we could only satisfy each other.

Clearly in mind is the memory of Marou displaying love in his touch. We were on a mission together, just the two of us, and on that mission's first night, we learned the difference between a friendly stroke and one filled with desire.

"Marou?" I said, poking my head out of the tent. There, I saw him, bathing in the lake. He held his his hair in his hands, and his body sparkled from the water. Awe-struck, I gaped at him, my heart thumping. His muscles rippled as he moved his hands through his hair. Some moans came from his mouth, and he fell back into the water, floating.

"Ah," he breathed, content. I retreated back into the tent, feeling disgusted with myself and enthralled with him. His moans still resonated in my mind. He could not be seducing me. I pushed that thought from my mind. He was just washing his body...that toned, pearly body...that body that I wanted, needed to touch, that body that I had to feel against my own. Rushing out of the tent, I ran to the lake's edge. Marou looked up at me with a light in his eye, an unidentifiable light. He rose out of the lake, the water dripping off of him. He just stood there, magnificent. I could say nothing. It was as though someone had sown my mouth shut.

"My dear Hikage," Marou whispered, touching my face. Another moan dripped from him. "I finally can know how soft your skin is." He walked forward and brushed hs lips against my cheek. "Finally I can taste you." I shivered. His arms went around me. "Kiss me, Hikage." He stared up at me, his eyes shining. I felt my gut tighten. Should I cross this line?

"Hikage..." His voice willed me. I placed my hands on his face and kissed him tenderly. He kissed back, holding me tightly. We slowly sunk to the ground; He lay on top of me. His body was so warm, so soothing. I melted beneath his touch. He sat up and clamped his legs around my hips. His hand slid into my robe and touched my chest skillfully. He knew exactly how to caress me. Opening my robe, he broke away my under-clothes. His hand moved farther down my body, finally reaching where I so desperately wanted to be touched. I moaned and breathed heavily as he stroked me.

"Come Hikage...let us have some privacy," he beckoned me. I crawled across the grass and slipped inside the tent. I lay underneath him again. He removed his clothes in the hot little tent and we kissed more, our tongues sparring. I could not hold back the pleasure within me, and cried out his name as he pleasured me all over. Lifting my legs, he dove inside of me, a long moan radiating from his mouth. Until the night ate up all the light and every creature was still, we made passionate love. Never before had I experienced a pleasure so deep, so fulfilling. Marou rocked back and forth, his body soon coated in sweat. When Marou and I reached our brilliant peaks, we ended our night of love and held each other. He looked so sweet with that endearing smile on his face. I could not resist and kissed him again.

"Oh Marou..." I said, holding him close to me.

"I love you, Hikage. You are the only one I've ever truly loved."

"I love you Marou." We kissed again, then fell asleep in each other's arms. Finally, someone who truly cared.

And I thought for years that he did. We would go on missions together and, after defeating the enemy, we celebrated with blissful love making. The other ninjas never learned of what we did on our missions. No one ever asked, so we never told. The secrecy of it, though, heightened the experience. When we lay on top of each otehr, only wearing our bare skin and we heard something in the darkness, we were scared, but being frightened rose such an arousal in me that I did not care.

I suppose that is why I became a ninja. Fear gave me pleasure. It was the same with Marou. He reached the same way. "Let's make love," he would say to me while the other ninjas slpet around us. Somehow, we were not afraid of risks. That is why we loved each other. We had so much in common. Risks never terrified us; neither did the battlefield. We killed and made love in the same day. Doing both gave us the same feeling, that rush, that high.

Life was wonderful, a constant intensity, for many years. Marou and I fought, made love, became closer than ever. Something began to change, though. His eyes widened at times, and he would just stare blankly. I had to tap him to get him out of those trances. They became more common, and he remained in them longer. The last battle we participated in, he was at his most insane. The bodies swelled around us as he washed his hands in mud and blood. I tried to stop him, but there was nothing I could do to hinder the madness. By that point, his dark side, his demon side, had already taken over. He was what he was destined to be: a devil.

That night before the last batttle we made love for a final time.

"Good night Marou," I said, standing in the doorway. The light filtered past me and cast a shadow upon Marou's face. He smiled at me.

"Come here Hikage, and don't forget to shut the door." I closed the door behind me and walked over to him. We were immersed in the darkness. Still, he found my robes and opened them. His mouth pleasured my naked privates hidden behind my clothes.

"Marou!" I quietly moaned his name. I fell to my knees; he wrapped his arms around me and clutched me closer to him. I covered my mouth, not wanting to awaken the otehrs surrounding us. Marou stopped, pushing me onto the ground and going inside of me. Luckily, the door never opened. We made love, our bodies sweaty, our hair disheveled. My seed spewed onto him as I climaxed. He removed himself from me and lay down. I fixed my robe and lay beside him, happy.

I didn't know I would lose my Marou in a matter of hours, that his mind would slip away from him. I hould have expected that he could have died, we were ninja, we could die while sleeping and never know it. I was so in love that I did not think. I was so stupid, so human. I can see why demons sometimes think of us as inferior. My emotion blinded me. This is why I had such a feeling of loss when he disappeared. At least he wanted to be with me. He wanted me to transcend humanity with him, to become a demon. I could not be a demon, though. I knew I had to defeat him. He was a menace. He had to be vanquished.

Now I am here, without him. My love cannot be given to anyone, for my heart is in shreds. Maybe one day I shall heal. For now, I shall be a ninja. No longer must I search for him. He is gone. One day he may return, at least for my sake, or I shall fade away and disappear, into the mist, into my memories. I shall grow old and die, but our love will remain, forever. No one can have my heart, since Marou keeps it with him, wherever he is. My Marou, my beloved, will always be mine, and I will be his. Death nor demon can separate us.